Farewell Ubuntu, Hello Arch

[hakimaki]

So I have finally found some time to sit and install Arch Linux, it took some to configure but I must say it was well worth it. Now that it's pretty much done, I am amazed in the difference of speed and responsiveness I am experiencing. I can't imagine going back to ubuntu now.

So this is my farewell to ubuntu and my embrace of Arch Linux. I will continue to hang out on this forum as it is a great community. I owe much to all you guys.

[handy]

Welcome to the Arch way. :-)

After 8 months or so, my appreciation for Arch just keeps on growing. I doubt I'm alone on that one.

[will1911a1]

Welcome!

[kelvin spratt]

I've used Arch for a while the thing I like is it teaches you Linux as it should be and in easy steps most configuring is in etc as in BSD, Gentoo and Slackware,

[mips]

Welcome! Been almost a year of addiction for me so far.

[Changturkey]

I am waiting for Chakra, then I will switch. So another convertee here.

[smartboyathome]

I am waiting for Chakra, then I will switch. So another convertee here.

Chakra does look good, but from what I hear, they are waiting for KDE4.2 to be stable before they go into testing.

[mips]

Chakra does look good, but from what I hear, they are waiting for KDE4.2 to be stable before they go into testing.

The iso was available for testing earlier on, it's not there now but it should be back soon with the next build.

[kpkeerthi]

Welcome aboard!

[Themaister]

Once you Arch, it's a new religion :D

[Changturkey]

The iso was available for testing earlier on, it's not there now but it should be back soon with the next build.

Argh...

[raul_]

Yet another welcome :)

[dannytatom]

I am waiting for Chakra, then I will switch. So another convertee here.

Same thing I'm waiting for. I do like the looks of Arch, but don't have a spare computer to play around with it on.

[jeffreyldavidson]

I would love to run Arch but I have installed it several times and never able to get my wireless working. I have a Dell Inspiron 1420n with the Intel wireless card and tried all tricks. I was able to install everything thing else but went back to Ubuntu because it just worked with my card. If someone had any suggestions I would gladly try it again and never have to reinstall a disto upgrade again.

[raul_]

I would love to run Arch but I have installed it several times and never able to get my wireless working. I have a Dell Inspiron 1420n with the Intel wireless card and tried all tricks. I was able to install everything thing else but went back to Ubuntu because it just worked with my card. If someone had any suggestions I would gladly try it again and never have to reinstall a disto upgrade again.

Maybe this deserves another thread (possibly in the Arch Forums) but what's your chipset?

[SomeGuyDude]

I would love to run Arch but I have installed it several times and never able to get my wireless working. I have a Dell Inspiron 1420n with the Intel wireless card and tried all tricks. I was able to install everything thing else but went back to Ubuntu because it just worked with my card. If someone had any suggestions I would gladly try it again and never have to reinstall a disto upgrade again.

Easy peasy way if it's Intel wireless:

1) Use your cable to get things rolling.

2) Follow the instructions for Wicd (http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wicd).

3) Enjoy.

I had the same problem and that was how I "fixed" it. Sure now I can get by without, but I still use Wicd.

[handy]

Same thing I'm waiting for. I do like the looks of Arch, but don't have a spare computer to play around with it on.

You can get a late model PIII for next to nothing at the rubbish dump. Lately I go once a week to see what I can pick up for $5-, I've got a multifunction firewall/proxy box (running IPCop & Copfilter) & a couple of (failed to meet my requirements) potential NAS boxes, I am accumulating spare boxes to use in the future as replacements & spare parts for repair & upgrade.

Before long these machines will become very hard to find, & we'll start seeing power hungry boxes with P4's & the like, which we won't want to pay the electricity bill for, let alone the environmental responsibility.

The post xmas time is apparently the best time to pick up good boxes at the dump according to the manager at my local.

[kpkeerthi]

Welcome!

Installed Arch 13 months ago. Stuck with it. Hope you enjoy it.

[crimesaucer]

I would love to run Arch but I have installed it several times and never able to get my wireless working. I have a Dell Inspiron 1420n with the Intel wireless card and tried all tricks. I was able to install everything thing else but went back to Ubuntu because it just worked with my card. If someone had any suggestions I would gladly try it again and never have to reinstall a disto upgrade again.

I know this doesn't really fix the problem.... but you could always buy a new wireless card or usb adapter with a driver that is known to work with Linux.


I did this because my 64bit BCM4322pre-n does not have an official driver yet. (other than a blob released by Broadcom)


I got this AWUS036H USB card that works really good for $60 dollars: http://www.tuto-fr.com/en/tutorial/materiel/awus036h-alfa-network.php


I'm not using it to crack any networks or war-drive anything, but it is nice to have an antenna that can pick up so many free and open networks. That way if I goto a coffee shop that charges money for internet, then there is a good chance that I can pick up a free stream from a few blocks. away.

[jeffreyldavidson]

Thanks, I am going to give it another go. I did get all else installed including Gnome and my screen settings...it was just the wireless that was holding me up and I only use my laptop.

[smartboyathome]

I have WICD and an Intel 4965 wireless card, they work great together (better than NM ever did). I couldn't get netcfg or iwconfig to work with it though for some reason.

[Sand & Mercury]

I've attempted to install Arch a few times before in VirtualBox before and failed, however I've spent most of today trying again and am happy to say that I am just about there. If I get everything up and running without hitches*, I may well consider using it as my main OS, though I'm a little scared that I'll **** something up along the way on my production machine. Is the process very different using a real computer as opposed to virtual?

* - Success! :D

[smartboyathome]

I've attempted to install Arch a few times before in VirtualBox before and failed, however I've spent most of today trying again and am happy to say that I am just about there. If I get everything up and running without hitches, I may well consider using it as my main OS, though I'm a little scared that I'll **** something up along the way on my production machine. Is the process very different using a real computer as opposed to virtual?

Arch seems to be funny when it comes to Virtualbox. Didn't want to work for me either when I tried it. :(

[pcybill]

Welcome to the Arch way. :-)

After 8 months or so, my appreciation for Arch just keeps on growing. I doubt I'm alone on that one.

Well if Handy can do it so can I :wink:

[Sand & Mercury]

Arch seems to be funny when it comes to Virtualbox. Didn't want to work for me either when I tried it. :(
At this point I'm fairly certain the problem was not anything to do with the computer. :P I didn't know what I was doing earlier. You certainly learn a lot when you install Arch.

[Chazall1]

I installed Arch 2 weeks ago. My main distro has been Ubuntu for the past 3 years. I like pacman "yaourt" and the AUR. I followed the Beginners Guide and got everything function on my desktop. I was not sure if I had enough command line experience to get OS set up. I am learning, and very much enjoying the a different linux expierence. I will be keeping Arch, and Ubuntu. I have tried many other distros, but Arch is hard to beat!!!

[SomeGuyDude]

I have WICD and an Intel 4965 wireless card, they work great together (better than NM ever did). I couldn't get netcfg or iwconfig to work with it though for some reason.

Wicd is effing MAGIC. I have no idea why it isn't the default in every DE.

Arch really is the king distro to me. It just has everything the way I think computing should be.

[handy]

Well if Handy can do it so can I :wink:

Anyone who can read & understand the instructions in the Beginners Guide (http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners_Guide) can do it, provided they don't have a hardware problem blocking them.

I am proof. :-)

[K.Mandla]

Welcome! Make sure you learn the secret handshake. ;)

[wolfvorkian1]

Anyone who can read & understand the instructions in the Beginners Guide (http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners_Guide) can do it, provided they don't have a hardware problem blocking them.

I am proof. :-)

Good point Handy. I had a heck of a time trying to get xorg stable with the on board video card this old computer came with. After loading a few programs, it would invariably crash horribly and I could not get it working again unless I did a new install. None of the commands to create a working xorg.conf file found in the beginner's manuel would do the trick. I spent hours messing with it and no luck;

It worked fine with all the all Ubuntu derivatives, Debian etc. but not with Arch. Just for the heck of it, I tried an old Nvdia card the kid had discarded and viola!!! , works like a charm and has now for several month. Arch just didn't like the original I guess and why I don't know.

I also had absolutely no luck in getting Arch to work with VirtualBox either like a previous poster was commenting about. But can't remember if it was before I changed cards or not. And I've had absolutely no problem in getting any of the Debian type distribution or XP to work in either VirtualBox or VmWare..... so I don't know what this means, if anything.

[Barrucadu]

Welcome! Make sure you learn the secret handshake. ;)

I've never learned the secret handshake, maybe we need a wiki article on it.

[handy]

I've never learned the secret handshake, maybe we need a wiki article on it.

No photo's.

[eldragon]

I'm not using it to crack any networks or war-drive anything, but it is nice to have an antenna that can pick up so many free and open networks. That way if I goto a coffee shop that charges money for internet, then there is a good chance that I can pick up a free stream from a few blocks. away.

if the antenna is that powerful, you better wear aluminum briefs :D

[crimesaucer]

if the antenna is that powerful, you better wear aluminum briefs :D

How about Lead shorts!


But for real, the USB adapter and the antenna look like this.


http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr169/Arch-newb/5710_1.jpg


Most of the time I would use the 2dBi antenna (to not look like the super dork of the coffee shop with the gigantic antenna), and I would only break out my 8dBi antenna if I really have to (and then I'll hide it in my computer bag).

[smartboyathome]

I've never learned the secret handshake, maybe we need a wiki article on it.

man arch-handshake ;)

[SomeGuyDude]

Don't forget to "yaourt -S handshake-flourishes" for the extra fancy bits the community made up.

[Changturkey]

I think Chakra Alpha 1 will be out in a few days..

[kpkeerthi]

I think Chakra Alpha 1 will be out in a few days..

Yeah... Looking forward to it. The devs made a wise decision to wait until KDE4.2, which I presume will be well rounded overall. I tried KDE4.1 but can't stand it.